Kiren Rijiju Shares Dilapidated MCD School's Video to Target AAP Government

Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju shared a video showing Delhi's Education Minister Atishi Marlena visiting a dilapidated school and enquiring about the state of the school.

What is he saying?: Rijiju shared a ten-second clip on his verified Twitter account on 15 April claiming that Atishi had exposed the condition of Delhi's "world class" school models under the state's former Education Minister Manish Sisodia.

What's the truth?: The school falls under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which exercises authority over different areas as compared to the Delhi government.

• The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the 2022 MCD elections in December 2022 and elected their new Mayor Shelly Oberoi in March 2023.

• Before the AAP won the recent elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power for 15 years.

• So, until December 2022, the BJP had been responsible for the schools under MCD and not AAP.

The school in question: We found a longer version of the video shared by Rijiju, which was first shared as a broadcast by the Aam Aadmi Party's verified Twitter account.

• The beginning of this video shows the school's board, which shows its identifying code as 1253404 and the name as MCPS Wazirabad Village - II with the postal code 110084.

• Delhi's Education Minister Atishi had also shared the video of the surprise inspection, which also showed the school's name as MCD Primary School, Wazirabad Village - II.

• The Times of India and The Print had also published reports on Atishi's surprise visit to the school on 10 April. This was five days before Kiren Rijiju shared his tweet.

Who is responsible for the school?: Taking a cue from the details we gathered, we looked for more information on the school.

• We found details about the school on the north Delhi Municipal Corporation's website, showing that the school came under the MCD's authority.

The Delhi Education Department's website showed that the school in the video was a primary school for boys.

A senior official in MCD's educational department, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to The Quint that the school is under the MCD.

The school's condition, a week later: The Quint visited the primary school in Wazirabad.

• Another senior staff member at the school, wishing to remain anonymous, told us that two classes – the fourth and fifth standards – had already been shifted to a nearby school in August itself, months before the surprise inspection.

• The decision was taken due to budget and infrastructure issues.

• They said that after Atishi's visit on 10 April, the school handed over a report which had the latest photos of the school's condition.

The MCD: The Aam Aadmi Party won the 2022 MCD elections in December 2022 by winning polls in 134 wards across the city, ending the BJP's 15-year rule.

• However, the MCD's mayoral election took place amid much chaos with AAP and BJP councillors fighting in the MCD Civic Centre, causing the election to be postponed.

• Eventually, AAP's Shelly Oberoi was elected to the position on 22 February.

Conclusion: Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju shared a video of Delhi Education Minister Atishi Marlena conducting a surprise visit at a primary school in Delhi to take a dig at AAP and former education minister Manish Sisoda.

• But, the school falls under the MCD's jurisdiction, which the BJP had led for 15 years until AAP won the 2022 MCD elections in December 2022.

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